From Mailbox to Tweetbot: 7 iOS apps to check out this weekend

Both new and well-established iOS apps share the spotlight.

With over 700,000 apps available in the iOS App Store, it's impossible to keep track of all the new updates coming down the line every week. And sometimes, there just isn't time for a full hands-on of every great app or update. So we're sharing some of the apps that caught our eye this week. As usual, we're not including every single one that made its way through the tubes—just the ones that seemed worth mentioning.

If you liked Sparrow because it provided a fresh way to deal with e-mail, a brand new app called Mailbox may catch your eye. The folks behind the to-do app Orchestra were sick of the inefficiencies and bad UIs in current e-mail clients and decided to build a "mobile-first e-mail experience from the ground up—challenging assumptions about how email works and redesigning the inbox for a world on the go."

The idea is to reformat the way users see and interact with e-mail to make it a better—and more mobile—experience. Part of that includes merging the concept of mail with tasks that need to get done (a common use for e-mail among much of the population), but in a way that doesn't overwhelm the user with on-screen options and settings. Messages are displayed in a very chat-like manner, with the app taking advantage of push notifications, offering the ability to snooze e-mails so you can respond later, and requiring minimal taps to trash or archive items.

Unfortunately for those of us on the outside, Mailbox is rolling out its launch by taking first-come, first-serve "reservations" when you download the app. This means that although you might have the app on your iOS device already, there could be hundreds of people in "line" ahead of you before you can use it (as of this writing, the number is over 350,000). In that sense, the launch of Mailbox this week is kind of a tease—we can look at the pretty screenshots but not play until later. That said, the buzz about Mailbox is building, so it seems worth checking out once you make your way to the top of the list.

This one was just released on Friday and it's largely similar to the 1.0 version of the TED app. What makes version 2.0 different is that it apparently has tweaks to make video buffering faster—certainly useful for those of us who watch TED talks via cellular data connections.

More importantly, however, is the fact that the TED app now has subtitles on its videos. You probably don't need us to tell you why this is great: not only do subtitles help out the hard-of-hearing, they're also beneficial to people who can't keep audio on while watching the video (like, say, people at work or watching on the train), or those for whom English isn't a first language. But actually, the subtitles aren't just limited to those who speak English—you can use the subtitles in a variety of languages.

“This release is a very important one to us. Our talks are translated by a team of volunteer translators worldwide. For the first time ever, their work is now available on iOS, our largest mobile platform right now,” TED’s Thaniya Keereepart said in a blog post. “The subtitle piece utilizes iOS 6′s new HLS services. Our engineers have been working very closely with Apple to make it possible.”

Tweetbot remains one of the most popular third-party apps for accessing Twitter, and the latest update to version 2.7 (actually, 2.7.1 if we're being specific) comes with really useful new features. The one that got us here at Ars worked up was the ability to open Twitter links in apps like Chrome and 1Password.

Here's the reason this excites us: few things are more obnoxious than clicking a link and being presented with a login screen. Only then do you realize that you don't know your password, thus forcing you to launch 1Password to get it, copy it, switch back to your Twitter app, and then paste it. Being able to open links directly in 1Password helps to cut down on that frustration significantly, allowing you to use Twitter with a password manager more easily. The same concept applies to Chrome, but from a different angle—the ability to open links in Chrome (as opposed to Safari) allows for more flexibility if Chrome is your preferred browser on iOS. No more copying and pasting URLs for you!

That's not all that got updated in Tweetbot, though. The app also gained the ability to display Flickr photos in-line as well as Vine "videos." There's also "better support" for muting tweets that contain URLs, for those of you who don't like Twitter turning into a glorified news reader.

Speaking of the devil, Twitter updated its own first-party apps for iOS and Android this week with a makeover to its search and "discover" capabilities. Admittedly the Discover tab isn't something I often make use of, in part because it had too many UI elements to browse through. The new Discover tab makes this feature much more usable—it unifies tweets, "trends" (hot topics on Twitter), and activities into one view so you can get a quick idea of what's going on among the general Twitterverse without having to hunt for it.

More importantly, however, are Twitter's tweaks to its search button—it's now available right next to the new tweet button in the upper right-hand corner. Twitter also claims the search "now shows the most relevant mix of people, Tweets and photos," and you can now access your five most recent searches in case there's one you perform often. You can also clear your past searches, for those of you who would like to keep your privacy.

Finally, you can load your account with money directly from within the Skype app.

There's not a lot new with Skype for iPad, but the reason it made its way into this roundup is because of one particular feature: the ability to add money to your Skype account directly from within the app. This seems like an obvious feature to have, yet Skype didn't allow it until this week's update. (When I faced this problem recently in Mexico, I had to go to the full Skype website on my iPad to refill my account before going back to the app to make the call.) Although this feature is currently only available to the United States, United Kingdom, Sweden, France, and Estonia, it's still a huge step in the right direction for an app that is dedicated to VoIP calling.

But aside from the ability to load up your account, there are a couple other worthwhile updates worth commenting on. The app's description says it can now automatically reconnect a dropped call in the event your cell or Wi-Fi connection dies—useful mostly if your connection picks up again soon after the drop.

Facebook continues to try to get between you and your cell carrier with this recent update to its iOS app. The most prominent new feature is the ability to include voice or video recordings within your Facebook messages, expanding on the media you can include when communicating over Facebook.

This may not seem exciting for some of the introverts on the social network, but members who communicate with families—especially those with kids—will undoubtedly appreciate the ability to include these sound or video bites in their messages. After all, tons of people are already on Facebook constantly—it's less about launching a new feature and more about keeping people where they already are instead of sending them away to another service.

And as an extra usability feature, Facebook allows you to record video or audio from right within the updated app—no need to switch to the Camera app or use something else that will save the video to your camera roll.

No explanation needed? Just draw and this app will calculate the result.

MyScript Calculator was sent to me by Chris Foresman, who got it from our friends at The Mac Observer. Basically, the app allows you to write or draw calculations onto the screen using your finger or stylus, interprets the numbers and symbols, and spits out a numerical answer. (See the screenshot above for an example.) In addition to that, the app allows you to scratch through answers to make corrections without being thrown for a loop, and has video tutorials for those who need it.

The upside is obvious for those who think and solve problems visually: MyScript Calculator allows you to draw out the problem without forcing your brain to go into calculator mode. Though it's likely to be inefficient for complex calculating sessions, but this app is pretty cool, at least for simpler problems.

Really? You don't think there might be many perfectly legitimate reasons to ease people onto a service like this? If the launch of online services like MMO's, or most recently, the Sim City beta have taught us anything it is that you need to be very careful with opening the floodgates. I'm absolutely certain that the developers are also completely aware that this will drum up interest in the launch of their new software as well and I don't see why they shouldn't be able to take advantage of this. It seems like a common sense strategy from an IT/Server Administration perspective and a marketing perspective. Heck, even Google started gmail as invite only; seems kinda petulant to bemoan their strategy here.

For the record, there are 377 641 people in front of me in line and I've already noticed that they have started adding folks much more rapidly.

I can't figure out the reason why I'd want a new email client for my iPhone. I don't have any problems with people who want something different, but I haven't yet been able to find anybody who can explain what "inefficiencies and bad UIs" that this supposedly saves us from. In addition, it's my understanding that it only works with Gmail accounts at this point. If true, that's a pretty serious limitation.

I can't figure out the reason why I'd want a new email client for my iPhone. I don't have any problems with people who want something different, but I haven't yet been able to find anybody who can explain what "inefficiencies and bad UIs" that this supposedly saves us from. In addition, it's my understanding that it only works with Gmail accounts at this point. If true, that's a pretty serious limitation.

The main reason anyone would use a different mail client at this point is to get push gmail..

It's my understanding that Mailbox is some sort of cloud based service that processes your email through its servers. While I use gmail, I can't say I'm willing to immediately trust a random company with access to my email. Likewise, Inky, a new OS X client, stores email usernames and passwords on their servers for ( as far as I can tell) no good reason.

I can't figure out the reason why I'd want a new email client for my iPhone. I don't have any problems with people who want something different, but I haven't yet been able to find anybody who can explain what "inefficiencies and bad UIs" that this supposedly saves us from. In addition, it's my understanding that it only works with Gmail accounts at this point. If true, that's a pretty serious limitation.

The main reason anyone would use a different mail client at this point is to get push gmail..

The good thing is that you can very easily and clearly sync particular folders from all these services, assuring that you always have copies for offline work, can also open a lot of file types (perfect for downloading .zip and opening them on the iPad), and also annotate PDFs directly in App.

Basically it's what I always wanted from a potential "Finder App" on iOS.

It's my understanding that Mailbox is some sort of cloud based service that processes your email through its servers. While I use gmail, I can't say I'm willing to immediately trust a random company with access to my email. Likewise, Inky, a new OS X client, stores email usernames and passwords on their servers for ( as far as I can tell) no good reason.

Yeah, not sure why I'm going to trust this myself. Despite the Verge playing this app up big time, I'd like to know the security aspects of this. I mean, I trust Google with my Google mail, but this will be like handing the keys over to someone else.

How will this actually work? Also, it's a pain in the ass to let people in piecemeal like this. How about this. You make your service. You set up all the infrastructure BEFORE you launch it. You make sure it's all in place. You make sure it scales BEFORE you launch it. Then you launch the app and service to everyone. The way they're doing it smells more like a stunt than anything else. They may be trying to falsely build up anticipation and excitement. But it's just annoying me. About ready to just chuck it and just keep using Google's own gmail client...which pushes mail just fine.

Not for long. the iOS Mail client supports Exchange push, as well as whatever proprietary method Apple uses for iCloud mail. In order to get push mail for Gmail, you need to set your account up using Exchange. However, Google is phasing Exchange ActiveSync out in the next few months (http://www.zdnet.com/google-discontinui ... 000008833/). When this happens, you'll only be able to access Gmail using IMAP, which means you will no longer be able to get push mail unless you use Google's Gmail client for iOS. (Gmail supports IMAP-IDLE, but iOS Mail does not, nor do most other mobile email clients. IDLE is not a "true" push protocol, and tends to drain batteries).

In regards to Mailbox. whether your trust them with your credentials is another issue, but storing your info on their servers is integral to how the app works. For instance, it is simply not possible for an iOS email client (aside from Apple's) to notify you of new messages without storing your credentials remotely. Third party clients are not permitted to run a background process in order to check for messages. They instead must use Apple push notifications. Push notifications are entirely cloud-based. (Developer's server creates a session for each user, check for events, then relays the appropriate notification to Apple's servers, which then relay to the user's device). There is no way around this.

Wow, Skype with in App purchases! And Ars does have no idea why probably the company (MS in this case) did not offer this until now? The 30% Apple tax is why! Where is Grover Norquist, when you need him?

Skype is its own platform which has offered the in-app purchase of minutes for a long time and is not at all enabled by Apple's store. So now the consumer pays higher prices than he needs to just so that Apple gets their cut on the in app purchase. Ars do you realize, Skype could offer its VOIP service cheaper, if it would not have to pay a 30% cut for nothing/nada. The only thing good is that at least the app is free.

I wished Skype would make that clear by crediting only 70% of minutes then when you purchase the minutes outside of the app. But then it credits you money which only is consumed by calling at different rates. Skype invent the Skype dollars, credit purchases into Skype dollars and you can make it perfectly clear that some of the purchase price is lost in taxes! You'll have to show that soon anyway, because the US states will charge you sales tax on it.

Yeah, not sure why I'm going to trust this myself. Despite the Verge playing this app up big time, I'd like to know the security aspects of this. I mean, I trust Google with my Google mail, but this will be like handing the keys over to someone else.

There is no security in e-mail. It's a store and forward protocol. The sender sends it to its mail server, which sends it to any number of mail servers in between. In practical terms of the modern internet, where most machines can sea each other directly it is only the recipients server. And there it sits anyway until you delete it.

If you want to keep anybody from reading you e-mail, encrypt it with PGP and ask you counterparts to do the same. Which will likely prevent you from using such new services anyway, as they don't support it.

Goofball_Jones wrote:

How will this actually work? Also, it's a pain in the ass to let people in piecemeal like this. How about this. You make your service. You set up all the infrastructure BEFORE you launch it. You make sure it's all in place. You make sure it scales BEFORE you launch it. Then you launch the app and service to everyone. The way they're doing it smells more like a stunt than anything else. They may be trying to falsely build up anticipation and excitement. But it's just annoying me. About ready to just chuck it and just keep using Google's own gmail client...which pushes mail just fine.

First it is very hard for a brand new service to estimate how many users it may get (look at Google running out of Nexus 4), second it costs a ton of money, which might be totally wasted to build infrastructure for user numbers that don't ever materialize. I presume the app is free making this strategy even more important. And don't tell me you can put it on a cloud, because that would just negate your security concern above, involving another party in you e-mail.

There is no security in e-mail. It's a store and forward protocol. The sender sends it to its mail server, which sends it to any number of mail servers in between. In practical terms of the modern internet, where most machines can sea each other directly it is only the recipients server. And there it sits anyway until you delete it.

If you want to keep anybody from reading you e-mail, encrypt it with PGP and ask you counterparts to do the same. Which will likely prevent you from using such new services anyway, as they don't support it.

Wow, I didn't know this. Hey, give us all a demonstration, read something from my gmail account...something benign and harmless as I don't really have much there anyway. But this will show us all that "anybody" can read my email.

Nice article, I'll be checking out some of these for the iPad. I was thinking this sort of coverage of apps would be very much appreciated on Windows Phone 8, but I guess you could argue that I could sit down and sift through all available apps in an hour or so...